UK TV review: Preacher: Season 2, Episode 11
Review Overview
Big Picture Nostalgia
8Writing
8Because I’m Adolf F****** Hitler
9Chris Bryant | On 01, Sep 2017
Warning this contains spoilers.
“I am absolutely 100 per cent sure that it’s a possibility.”
Jesse Custer’s journey to locate God comes to a crossroads this week, as he realises the answers have been there all along. But having ostracised his friends with his restless searching, he’s forced to continue alone.
Having enjoyed several episodes of darkly comic melee, the discovery that God presented himself to Jesse months ago is a clever little twist – having dropped clues amongst the carnage for 10 more episodes, the writers have had a lot of forest to hide the breadcrumbs in, and yet the moment of realisation is no less enjoyable; if anything, it adds to the feeling of ground covered.
This turns out to be an important focus within the episode. With Jesse potentially having found God, audiences are reminded that having arrived in New Orleans with two best friends and a mission, a lot has changed; this is made all the more obvious by the argumentative division of the three, as Jesse has his moment of clarity. It’s a powerful moment, as Tulip puts her trust even further in her double-agent neighbour, while Cassidy seems to be finally realising the dangers of granting immortality – all of which leaves Jesse decidedly alone.
In a quietly emotional chapter, a little nostalgia goes a long way, when the usual topics include brutal violence and anal penetration (neither of which are missing from the episode, worry not). This is increased tenfold when the subject is as innocent as Eugene, who returns to Preacher after a few episodes’ silence. Finally revealing the full version of Hitler’s worst memory, and employing the controversially sentimental dictator’s help to escape, Eugene’s journey quickly becomes the most exciting story, as he heads directly into the most dangerous place in Hell.
Ending with Jesse rejecting The Grail’s manipulative suggestions (in true Preacher fashion), it’s unclear as to where we’re headed next, but Back Doors serves as a brilliant status episode, managing to remind fans of the larger picture, while carefully moving forward with the plot in a sobering, homesick manner that lacks much of the anarchic recklessness of past instalments. Focusing on childhood trauma, Jesse’s larger story, Eugene’s escape, and the relationship between the protagonists, it’s an expressive 45 minutes that only serves to invest the audience even further in the preacher’s search for peace.
Preacher Season 2 is available to watch online in the UK exclusively on Amazon Prime Video, as part of a £5.99 monthly subscription. New episodes arrive weekly on Tuesdays, within 24 hours of their US broadcast.